By Edmond Ortiz
Universal City officials are tackling an array of issues meant to advance improvement of the town’s infrastructure, and the safety of motorists.
Meanwhile, contractors handling the Loop 1604 expansion project recently introduced a new permanent road closure, and crews are looking to put final touches on DeZavala Road upgrades in Shavano Park.
Universal City
City Council met April 21 to act on multiple infrastructure initiatives. Council approved a scenario where city staff can begin reallocating $2.23 million in surplus general obligation bond funds for additional engineering, design and construction of more road projects.
Back in 2022, Universal City voters approved $30 million in GO bonds for street improvements. Council in 2023 approved issuing $6 million in GO bond money to cover an initial phase of upgrades to existing select roadways with a new pavement section, replacement of driveway approaches, curb and gutter improvements, and adjustments to utility manholes and valves where necessary.
Contractor bids came in lower than expected by city staff, and council voted this past March to award a $2.79 million bid to Brooke Paving and Construction.
City officials said the remaining $2.23 million can be put to good use toward repairing other roads not affected by the initial phase of bond-funded improvements.
Councilmember Christina Fitzpatrick said because engineering for Phase I of planned road improvements took so long, it would benefit residents to use the surplus money toward planning out additional projects.
“I really do see the value in spending this excess money, and getting all of those engineering studies done, so that we can execute more quickly going forward on the next three or four projects,” she added.
City staff and advisors are now looking at pre-planning for the next issuance of GO bond funds for street improvements. They are also exploring the feasibility of floating a utility revenue bond to expand the public works yard and utilities.
Additionally, council adopted a Comprehensive Safety Action Plan, which among other things sets a goal of zero transportation-related fatalities and serious injuries on city-maintained streets by 2050.
According to city data, there were 688 vehicular collisions on Universal City roads between 2020 and 2024, with 21% of those crashes involving a fatality or serious injuries in the same timeframe.
Also during the same period, 44% of the collisions occurred at intersections, and half of collisions involved bicyclists or other mobility devices.
City staff used recent crash data to develop the plan with guidance from a local safety task force, and input from residents and stakeholders. The action plan aligns with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program.
The city now has a high-injury network, which focuses resources where they will have the biggest impact on public safety, local officials said. Roads within the network include Old Cimmaron, Kitty Hawk Road, Athenian, Gibbs Sprawl Road, Farm Road 78, East Aviation, and North Boulevard.
According to city officials, safety countermeasures can include rapid flashing beacons at crossings, school zone flashing beacons, flashing chevrons along the curve of Kitty Hawk, and the placement of emergency preemption devices at 20 intersections. Such devices can let public first responders to override traffic signals and get to their destination faster.
City officials said funding for any road safety measures being implemented or planned for future implementation will come from grants and available money in the town’s budget.
Shavano Park update
Construction crews heading the DeZavala Road improvement project in Shavano Park are seeking to wrap up installation of concrete sidewalks, topsoil and overflow parking space before mid-May, despite being slowed down by recent rains.
According to city officials, contractors on DeZavala will then move onto the final mill and overlay of the roadway, and proceed to striping, signage and railings. Elsewhere, contractors recently finished street repairs on Post Oak Way and Cinnamon Oak.
Loop 1604
Crews working the Loop 1604 improvement initiative across the North Side shuttered the westbound 1604 exit to La Cantera Parkway.
Drivers on westbound Loop 1604 looking to exit to La Cantera Parkway now must exit via the westbound 1604 frontage road exit just before the Interstate 10 interchange, and follow the westbound 1604 frontage road through the I-10 interchange.
